Senator Kennedy stated in the press release, "Every worker has had to miss days of work because of illness. Every child gets sick and needs a parent at home to take care of them. And all hardworking Americans deserve the chance to take care of their families without putting their jobs or their health on the line."

Federal: New Interagency Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team


U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius have recently announced in a press release on the Department of Justice's (DOJ) web site a new interagency creation, the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT). AG Holder says the HEAT initiative offers increased tools, resources and leadership.

"Every year we lose tens of billions of dollars in Medicare and Medicaid funds to fraud." Secretary Sebelius stated in the press release. "Most providers are doing the right thing and providing care with integrity. But we cannot and will not allow billions of dollars to be stolen from Medicare and Medicaid through fraud, waste and serious abuse of the system. It's time to bring the fight against fraud into the 21st century and put the resources on the streets and out into the community to protect the American taxpayers and lower the cost of health care."

The HEAT team features senior officials from DOJ and HHS, and will be building upon and strengthening existing programs and using new technology to combat and prevent fraud, waste and abuse. The efforts will also include the expansion of joint DOJ-HHS Medicare Fraud Strike Force teams that have successfully fought fraud in South Florida and Los Angeles. According to the DOJ's press release, resources will be directed for specific tasks in fraud prevention, including expanding demonstration projects by the HHS Inspector General and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that focus on suppliers of durable medical equipment (DME).

State: Delaware Bill Introduced to Give Stronger Protections for Elderly, Disabled

In Delaware, a bill has been introduced (House Bill 165) that will offer the public online access to an Adult Abuse Registry. Delaware Governor Jack Markell announced the legislation in a press release on his web site. Governor Markell expressed his support for the bill, along with State Representative Valerie Longhurst and State Senator Patricia Blevins, and its protections of senior citizens and Delaware citizens with disabilities. Senate Majority Whip Blevins is the lead Senate sponsor of HB 165, and House Majority Whip Longhurst is the House sponsor.

More Industry Headlines